Volunteers needed to help care for seals, pups

The Marine Mammal Center is looking for volunteers to help one day a week during the current elephant and Pacific harbor pupping season.

The seals are giving birth to 8-10 animals a day along the 600-mile range between Mendocino and San Luis Obispo counties on the central and northern California coast.

The Marine Mammal Center, located in the Marin Headlands in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, needs animal care volunteers at its main hospital on Fridays between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. for a minimum of six months.

Transport drivers also are needed to pick up and drive rescued mammal patients from the Monterey Bay Operations facility in Moss Landing to the hospital for rehabilitation.

As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, there were 93 elephant seals and 10 California sea lions as patients at the Marine Mammal Center.

The Marine Mammal Center will provide all the necessary training so volunteers can make an immediate difference.

To volunteer, email volunteer@tmmc.org.

The Marin Mammal Center also needs volunteers for its revived Fish Kitchen Support. Members of the public can volunteer in the fish kitchen without advanced training. A long-term commitment is not required.

The Marin Mammal Center has rescued and treated more than 20,000 marine mammals since 1975.